Merchandising display with sample dispensing means



L Z5 W125 Jan. 24, 1967 STElER ETAL 3,300,088

MERCHANDISING DISPLAY WITH SAMPLE DISPENSING MEANS 5 Sheets$heet 1 Filed Nov. 27, 19

INN ANSHE STE/El? DA D 75/5,? MEYER 575/67? ATTORNEYS Jan. 24, 1967 A. STEIER ETAL 0 9 3 MERCHANDISING DISPLAY WITH SAMPLE DISPENSING MEANS Filed Nov. 27, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 mvemoks A TTORA/EYS Jan. 1967 A. STEIER ETAL 3,300,088

MERCHANDISING DISPLAY WITH SAMPLE DISPENSING MEANS Filed Nov. 27, 1964 5 Sheets-$heet 5 b J26 n J //6 i Z; W m- M Had i U0 INVENTORS ANSHEL STE/El? DAV/D STE/ER BY MEYER STE/ER ATTO R N EYS United States Patent ()fiice 3,3@,@88 Patented Jan. 24, 1967 3,300,088 MERCHANDISING DISPLAY WITH SAMPLE DEFENSWG MEANS Anshel Steier, David Steier, and Meyer Steier, all

Hickory Smoked Cheese Corp., 41 Harrison St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11213 Filed Nov. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 414,179 9 Claims. (Cl. 22197) This invention relates to a merchandising display with sample dispensing means.

It is the object of our invention to provide a new and improved merchandising display which simultaneously exhibits to retail customers a product that the retail store desires to sell and at the same time offers to such customers a sample of the product displayed. The exhibition of the product comprises for example the provision of an illuminated representation of the product or a grouped display of a quantity of the product itself.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a merchandising display of the character described which can be quickly assembled in the retail store and which will thereafter pleasantly and provocatively stimulate sales of the displayed merchandise.

It is another object of our invention to provide a merchandising display of the character described having a new and improved sample dispensing mechanism which can be actuated by an interested customer so as to yield a sample of the displayed product.

It is yet another object of our invention to provide a merchandising display of the character described which is particularly suited for the display of packaged cheese, prepared meats, packaged cookies, and like processed comestibles and which has a sample dispensing mechanism which will upon actuation by an interested customer present a slice of the cheese, a slice of the prepared meat, a single cookie or a predetermined quantity of any other displayed comestible to the customer for his eating enjoyment.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a merchandising display of the character described which is well suited for the display of various types of comestibles and which includes a sample dispensing mechanism that will supply a customer with a sample of the comestible so as to induce him to purchase larger quantities of the displayed item.

It is a further object of our invention to provide an expendable merchandising display of the character described which can be manufactured by mass production methods at a low cost, and which is intended for use in the retail store for only a short period of time, e.g., over a weekend, so as to introduce a product to the consuming public and which thereafter, having fulfilled its purpose, can be discarded.

These and various other objects and advantages of our invention will become apparent to the reader in the following description.

Our invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which will be exemplified in the devices hereinafter described and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown various possible embodiments of our invention,

FIG. 1 is a three-quartered front perspective view of a cheese-dispensing embodiment of our merchandising dis- P y;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of several of the components of the merchandising display shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary perspective and partially broken away view of the sample dispensing means illustrating its mounting in the merchandising display of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of the sample dispensing means taken substantially along the line 55 of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are fragmentary sectional views of the sample dispensing means taken substantially along the line 6-6 of FIG. 5 and illustrating the slicer before and after, respectively, the severance of a slice of cheese;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of another embodiment of the sample dispensing means illustrating an adaptation thereof for the sample dispensing of cookies;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 99 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 10 is a perspective partially cutaway view of another and more compact embodiment of our merchandising display adapted to dispense a slice of prepared meat; and

FIGS. 11 and 12 are enlarged fragmentary cross-sectional views taken substantially along the lines, respectively, 111ll and 12I2 of FIG. 10.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 through 7 and 9, the reference numeral 10 denotes a merchandising display within which is mounted a sample dispensing mechanism 12, both being constructed and integrated in accordance with our invention. The merchandising display is a large self-supporting box-like structure designed to attract the attention of food shoppers and constructed to stand on the floor of a retail store. The display includes an area in which boxes of merchandise can be temporarily stored in view of, and in easy reach of, passing customers. Further, the merchandising display firmly supports the sample-dispensing mechanism, enclosing the comestibles to be dispensed and exposing a slicer on the mechanism so that it can be operated by interested members of the public.

Specifically, the merchandising display 10 preferably is made of paparboard, e.g. corrugated board, and includes a vertically elongated riser 14 and a base 16. The riser 14 includes a three-sided forwardly facing rear channel 15 including a broad back wall 18 and two parallel 0pposed forwardly extending side walls 20, 22. The back wall 18 and the side walls 20, 22 run the full height of the merchandising display It).

The riser 14 further includes a partially rectangularlyshaped front chimney 23 having a broad front wall 24, parallel side walls 26, 28 and a rear wall 30. The front wall 24 and the rear wall 30 are parallel and coextensive. The side walls 26, 28 space the front wall 24 from the rear wall 30 and extend further downwardly beyond the bottom edges of the front and rear walls so as to provide legs, respectively 33, 35 that support the chimney 23 on the base 16. The chimney fits within the forward portion of the side walls of the channel 15. A three-sided U-shaped forwardly opening retainer 32 fits into the merchandising display with its arms flat against the insides of the legs 33, 35 of the side walls 26, 28 of the chimney. The bottom edges of the front wall 241 and rear wall 31) of the chimney rest upon the upper edge of the retainer.

The base 16 of the merchandising display is comparatively large and rectangularly-shaped in plan. The rear wall of the base fits within the forward portion of the side walls of the channel and is spaced forwardly of the back wall 18.

The base 16 further includes a recessed horizontal top wall 34 which, with the top marginal portions of the vertical walls of the base 16, forms a four-sided open topped deep tray 36. The rear edges of the legs 33, 35 rest against the back wall of the tray. Moreover, the back wall of the retainer is located against the back wall of the tray. The various elements of the merchandising display 10 are held together in the foregoing relationship by staples as at 38 or by other appropriate mechanical fastening means.

The merchandising display 10 mounts the sample dispensing mechanism 12 which includes a vertically elongated sheet metal chute 40 in which the merchandise to be dispensed is placed. The chute optionally has a slot 42 in its front wall which extends the full vertical height thereof. The chute 40 is carried by a sheet metal bridge 44 and is attached to the broad flat horizontal span 46 of the bridge. To this end, L-shaped angular brackets 48 have their vertical flanges fixed as by spot welding to the bottom of the side walls of the chute 40 and have their outwardly protruding horizontal flanges detachably fixed to the span 46, as by bolts 50. The chute 40 is approximately centered between the sides of the bridge 44. The bridge has a flange 49 extending inwardly at right angles to its body along its rear edge.

The span 46 of the bridge 44 has a rectangular cutout 52 in vertical registry with the chute 4-0, the cutout being slightly larger than the outline of the transverse crosssection of the chute 46.

The sample dispensing mechanism further includes a sheet metal dispensing slide, to wit, a slicer 54 which is mounted for reciprocating motion within the mechanism and which is operated manually by an interested customer.

The forward end of the slicer 54 (nearest the customer) is roller over so as to present a convenient handle 56 by which it may be gripped.

The slicer 54- reciprocates within and is supported by a broad track 58 located between the brackets 48 and fixed, as by welding, to the span 46. The side marginal portions of the track are turned over towards one another so as to form sheet metal gibs containing the slicer 54 so as to prevent it from moving laterally but to allow it to be shifted back and forth. The track 58 has a cutout 60 which is in registry with the cutout '52 in the span 46 of the bridge 44.

As can be seen most clearly in FIGS. 4 through 7, the chute 40 is supported by the brackets 48 on the span 46 so that the bottom edge of the chute terminates slightly above the level of the slicer 54. This construction permits the slicer 54 and its components to pass freely over the aligned cutouts 52, 66 without interference.

A central portion of the slicer 54 carries a slicing blade 62 stamped out of the body of the slicer itself. The blade 62 extends first angularly upwardly and then horizontally rearwardly from the slicer in one piece therewith and has a sharp cutting edge 64. The fabrication of the blade 62 forms a narrow transverse slot 66 in the slicer immediately below the horizontal portions of the blade 62 (see FIGS. 6 and 7).

The rear portion of the slicer 54 is formed as a narrow elongated bar 68, the free rear end of which is bent downwardly so as to act as a stop 70. When the slicer 54 is pulled sufficiently outwardly (forwardly), the stop 7% abuts the rear of the track 58 at a position wherein the cutting edge 64 of the slicing blade 62 is forward of and clear of the space immediately below the chute 40 (as shown in FIG. 6).

The front wall of the chute 40 terminates at a lower edge sutficiently high so as to permit free passage of the slicing blade 62, but the rear wall of the chute is in the path of travel of the cutting edge 64 so as to act as an anvil against which the cutting edge can move and sever merchandise.

he merchandising display is assembled by first securing the channel 15 to the base 16 as with staples 38a, and positioning the base so that it is located between the side walls 20, 22 of the channel and with the rear wall of the base spaced from the back wall 18 of the channel so as to clear the bar 63 in its rearmost position (see FIGS. land 2).

The bridge 44 carrying the chute 40 and slicer 54 is then placed into the tray 36 so that each leg of the bridge is fiat against an internal face of a side wall of the base and the bridge abuts the back of the tray.

Next the retainer 32 is placed into the tray with its back wall flat against the inside face of the back wall of the tray. The side walls of the retainer press against the internal faces of the legs of the bridge. The back wall of the retainer presses against the inturned flange 49 of the bridge. The terminal (foremost) portions of the side walls of the retainer are stapled as at 38 to the side walls of the tray 36. The flange 49 of the bridge is thereby firmly captured between the back wall of the retainer and the back Wall of the tray, so that the dispensing mechanism 12 is held fast in the merchandising display and cannot rock therein.

The chimney 23 is then placed over the chute 40 so that the chute is completely concealed within and centrally located within the chimney and so that the legs 33, 35 of the chimney stand on the floor of the tray and are located between the legs of the bridge and the internal faces of the side walls of the tray. The chimney encloses the chute as well as the top of the bridge and the slicer 54, except for its handle 56. The top of the chimney is stapled as at 38 to the side walls 20, 22 of the channel 15, thereby preventing lifting of the sample dispensing mechanism off its support.

In operation, the chute 40 is loaded with merchandise such as a rectangular bar of cheese 92. The bar of cheese is appropriately configured so that when it is placed into the chute 4%), it can slide downwardly therein by gravity. FIG. 6 illustrates the position of the sample dispensing mechanism 12 immediately prior to the dispensing of a sample of the merchandise, i.e. immediately prior to the cutting and dispensing of a slice of cheese. The bottom of the cheese bar 92 rests on top of the body of the slicer 54. The slicer 54 cannot be pulled farther outwardly due to the abutment of the stop 70 against the rear of the channel 58.

To cut a slice of cheese, the slicer 54 is grasped by its handle 56 and pushed inwardly so that the cutting edge 64 passes transversely through the cheese bar 92 until the cutting edge abuts the rear wall of the chute.

Optionally, the bolts 50 which fix the brackets to the bridge 44 pass through elongated front-to-back slots 93 (see FIG. 9) one in each of the horizontal flanges of the brackets 48 allowing the chute to be adjusted in relation to the slicer 54 so that its cutting edge 64 will squarely meet the rear wall of the chute 40, which acts as its anvil.

The height of the cutting edge 64 above the remainder of the slicer 54 determines the thickness of the severed slice of cheese. As the slicer 54 is pushed inwardly a slice )4 of cheese is cut and is cammed downwardly by the slicing blade 62 through the slot 66 in the slicer immediately below the blade and then through both cutouts 52, 60, respectively, in the track 58 and the bridge span 46. The slice of cheese drops onto a cardboard pan 96 carried by a four-sided hollow cardboard support 98 which stands on the recessed top wall 34 of the base 16 and is stapled to the tray 36. Thereafter, an interested customer who has just operated the sample dispensing mechanism 12 can remove and taste the comestible.

touching the mechanism.

Packages of merchandise 100 can be stored within the tray 36 around the pan 96 and its support 98 so that when a customer is pleased by the taste of the dispensed merchandise he can readily obtain such a package.

The exterior sides of the rechandising display can be decorated and printed with merchandising indicia, as at 101 so as to further increase the advertising value of the merchandising display.

FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of our invention, wherein a stack of cookies 182 or like small individually preformed walfer-like articles is placed within the chute 40 for sample dispensing. In this embodiment the dispensing slide 103 includes an elevated feeler 104 which is raised from the height of the remainder of the slide to the same extent as the thickness of a single cookie 102.

The front-to-back dimension of the feeler 104 is approximately the same as the front-to-back dimension of the chute and the slide has a slot 106 immediately below the feeler which is of similar dimension.

When the slide 183 is pushed inwardlly, the feeler 104 slips between the bottommost and the cookie next above it. The bottommost cookie then falls through the slot 106 into the pan in the tray while the remainder of the stack of cookies is supported on the top surface of the feeler 104. When the slide 1113 is again drawn outwardly, the stack of cookies falls off the top of the feeler and comes to rest on the body of the slide preparatory to the next reciprocation of the slide.

FIGS. 10 to 12 illustrate yet another embodiment 108 of our merchandising display. This embodiment is smaller and lighter in weight than the previously discussed embodiments and is thereby readily portable between diflerent areas in a retail food store. This embodiment as illustrated is utilized in conjunction with the display and sample dispensing of prepared meats; however, this portable embodiment may display and dispense cheese and may easily be adapted to display and dispense cookies, in a manner such as above described.

The merchandise display in this embodiment 108 includes a rigid three-sided frame 110 having a bottom wall 111 that comprises the bottom wall of the merchandising display. The frame further constitutes a back wall 112 and a top wall 114 both located internally of the display.

A removable paperboard cover 116 slidably fits over the frame 110 and encloses a sample dispensing mechanism 117 and other structure of the display. The cover comprises a hollow paperboard sheath having only its bottom wall and a lower portion of its front wall open so that it can be slipped over the frame and sample dispensing mechanism 117.

An optional but desirable ancillary feature of this embodiment is the provision of a translucent display panel 116 on a side wall of the display cover on which advertising indicia 118 are imprinted. For example, the phrase Buy Ham and an illustration depicting a cooked ham placed on the translucent panel may be utilized for a special ham sale in a supermarket. In such instance, slices of cooked ham are dispensed by the sample dispensing mechanism.

Illumination means is mounted on the frame 110 and provides internal lighting which passes through the translucent display panel so as to make the indicia 118 thereon stand out and eye-appealing. Said illumination means comprises a vertically-oriented fluorescent bulb 120 held by electrical sockets 122 on opposed bottom and top walls of the frame 110. Well-known and conventional circuit 6 means 123 including lead wires, ballast and starter (partially shown) connects the bulb to an outside source of electric power, and a control switch 124 is provided so that the bulb can be turned on or off.

The sample dispensing mechanism 117 is similar in both operation and structure to the samplee dispensing mechanism 12 described in connection with FIGS. 1, 7, and 9, and need therefore only be briefly detailed. Said mechanism 117 includes an elongated vertical chute 126 having an open upper end and a back wall 127 which extends to and is fixed to the top of the frame The open-ended bottom of the chute 126 is firmly attached by brackets 128 on opposite sides thereof to a horizontal base plate 130, the brackets being in one piece with said plate. The base plate 130 is mounted on the bottom wall of the frame 110 by an inverted-Y support 132.

A slice-r plate 134 has a forward end formed to comprise a handle 136 and a rear stop 137. The slicer plate is mounted for sliding reciprocating movement in a track 138 fixed on top of the base plate 130, the side marginal portions of the track being formed into channels which guide the slicer plate in its movement.

Stamped out of the body of the slicer plate between the ends thereof is a slicing blade 140 which slopes upwardly and rearwardly from the slicer plate. The fabrication of the blade 140 forms a transverse slot 142 in the slicer plate immediately below the blade. The track 138 and the base plate 130 each have apertures respectively, 144, 146, which are in mutual alignment with the open bottom end of the chute 126.

A quantity of prepared meat that has been shaped into an elongated bar 148 of approximately the same transverse cross-section as the chute is placed into the chute (this being accomplished upon removal of the display cover 116). Thereupon, reciprocation of the slicer 134 by an interested customer at a retail food store will slice 9. sample of the meat from the bar. Each slice of meat upon being severed is dispensed to the customer after passage through the slot 142 in the slicer and through the apertures 144, 146 and can -be removed from the merchandising display through the opening in the lower portion of the front wall of the cover 116, having been directed to this opening by the ramp constituting the front sloped wall of the support 132.

The paperboard and sheet metal materials from which the various embodiments of the merchandising display and the sample dispensing mechanism are formed, and the obvious economy inherent in its fabrication and setting up, make the item valuable as a means for running a single weekend (Friday and Saturday) Special on a certain item in markets. After such use, the display and dispenser may be discarded.

It thus will be seen that we have provided devices which achieve the several objects of our invention and which are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiments set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A merchandising display comprising a base and a hollow riser, said base including a tray for temporarily storing and exhibiting articles of merchandise, and hand operable sample dispensing means, said dispensing means having a vertically elongated chute, said riser having walls within which the chute is located so as to be concealed from view, said chute being arranged to store a quantity of merchandise, a dispensing slide, a bridge having spaced parallel legs standing in the tray, and means mounting the slide on the bridge for reciprocal movement across the bottom of the chute so as to dispense a predetermined portion of the quantity of merchandise from the chute upon each reciprocation.

2. A merchandising display comprising a base and a hollow riser, said base including a tray for temporarily storing and exhibiting articles of merchandise, and hand operable sample dispensing means, said dispensing means having a vertically elongated chute, said riser having walls within which the chute is located so as to be concealed from view, said chute being arranged to store a quantity of merchandise, a dispensing slide, a bridge having spaced parallel legs standing in the tray, a retainer within the tray and attached to the base, said retainer holding the bridge firmly in the display, and means mounting the slide on the bridge for reciprocal movement across the bottom of the chute so as to dispense a predetermined portion of the quantity of merchandise from the chute upon each reciprocation.

3. A merchandising display comprising a base and a hollow riser, said base including a tray for temporarily storing and exhibiting articles of merchandise, and hand operable dispensing means, said dispensing means having a vertically elongated chute, said chute being located within the riser so as to be concealed from view and being arranged to store a quantity of merchandise, a dispensing slide, a bridge abutting a wall of the display and having spaced parallel legs standing in the tray, said bridge inclu-ding a protuberant flange, a retainer within the tray and attached to the base, said retainer abutting the flange on the bridge so as to locate the bridge firmly against a wall of the display, and means mounting the slide on the bridge for reciprocal movement, said means comprising a track fixed to the bridge, the slide being shiftable along said track and movable across the bottom of the chute so as to dispense a predetermined portion of the quantity of merchandise from the chute upon each reciprocation.

4. A merchandising display for sampiing comestibles such as cheese and the like, said display comprising a base and a hollow riser, said base including a tray for temporarily storing and exhibiting packages of said comestibles, and hand operable means for dispensing a slice of the comestible, said dispensing means having a vertically elongated chute of rectangular cross-section, said chute being located within the riser so as to be concealed from view and being constructed to store an elongated bar of the comestible, a dispensing slicer, a bridge abutting a wall of the display and having spaced parallel legs standing in the tray, said bridge including a protuberant flange, a retainer within the tray and attached to the base, said retainer abutting the flange on the bridge so as to hold the bridge firmly against a wall of the display, and means mounting the slicer on the bridge for reciprocal movement, said means comprising a track fixed to the bridge, the slicer being shiftable along said track and movable across the bottom of the chute so as to sever and dispense a slice from the bar of the comestible upon each reciprocation.

5. A merchandising display for sampling comestibles such as cheese and the like, said display comprising a base and a hollow riser, said base including a tray for temporarily storing and exhibiting packages of said comestibles, and hand operable means for dispensing a slice of the comestible, said dispensing means having a vertically elongated chute of rectangular cross-section, said chute being located within the riser so as to be concealed from view and being constructed to store an elongated bar of the comestible, a dispensing slicer, a bridge abutting a wall of the display and having spaced parallel legs standing in the tray, said bridge including a protuberant flange, a retainer within the tray and attached to the base, said retainer abutting the flange on the bridge so as to hold the bridge firmly against a wall of the display, an open pan supported within said tray and located below the chute, and means mounting the slicer on the bridge for reciprocal movement, said means comprising a track fixed t the bridge, the slicer being shiftable along said track and movable across the bottom of the chute so as to sever and dispense a slice from the bar of the comestible from the chute upon each reciprocation into the pan.

6. A merchandising display for sampling performed comestible articles such as cookies and the like, said display comprising a base and a hollow riser, said base including a tray for temporarily storing and exhibiting packages of said articles, and hand operable means for dispensing said comestible articles one at a time, said dispensing means having a vertically elongated chute of a predetermined cross-section, said chute being located within the riser so as to be concealed from view and being arranged to store a stack of said articles, a dispensing slide, a bridge abutting a wall of the display and having spaced parallel legs standing in the tray, said bridge including a protuberant flange, a retainer within the tray and attached to the base, said retainer abutting the flange on the bridge so as to locate the bridge firmly against a wall of the display, and means mounting the slide on the bridge for reciprocal movement, said means comprising a track fixed to the bridge, the slide being shiftable along said track and movable across the bottom of the chute so as to segregate a single article from said stack and to dispense said article from the chute upon each reciprocation.

7. A merchandising display comprising a support and a sample dispensing means, said support comprising a paperboard tray, a paperboard channel having a rear wall and forwardly extending side walls, said channel receiving a rear portion of the tray between its side walls, means fastening the channel to the tray, a top portion of the channel extending above the tray, said sample dispensing means comprising a bridge having spaced parallel legs standing in the tray, a vertically elongated chute extending upwardly from the bridge and supported thereby, and a dispensing slide located at the bottom of the chute, and means to hold the sample dispensing mechanism in the support, said holding means comprising a paperboard chimney within which the chute is located, said chimney being disposed between the upper part of the side walls of the channel and being secured thereto, and a retainer including a back wall and side walls, the back wall of the retainer engaging the bridge and holding the same against the rear wall of the tray and the side walls of the retainer engaging the legs of the bridge and holding the same against the side walls of the tray, and means fastening the retainer to the tray.

8. A sample dispensing means for use with a merchandising display, said dispensing means including a vertically elongated chute arranged to store a quantity of comestible in bar form, a bridge supporting the chute, a dispensing slicer, a track carried by and fixed to the bridge and mounting the slicer for reciprocal movement immediately below the chute, said slicer carrying an elevated cutting blade having an elongated linear cutting edge, the chute having a wall with a fiat planar area with an elongated transverse dimension at least as long as a major segment of the cutting edge, said area acting as an anvil against which the cutting edge of the blade moves in the path of travel of the slicer, and manually operable adjusting means for orienting the chute and thereby the anvil relative to the track and thereby to the cutting blade so that the cutting edge of the cutting blade meets the anvil squarely whereby to completely sever a slice of the comestible from the bar.

9. A sample dispensing means as set forth in claim 8, wherein the adjusting means comprises a pair of fastenin g means each including an elongated element, and pairs of registered apertures in the bridge and in elements functionally integral with the chute, said elongated elements extending each through a pair of apertures, at least one of said apertures being elongated.

(References on following page) References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Schwechler et a1. 146-62 Phillips 221-8 X Neher 221-197 X Ingle et a1 221-99 Manning 221-8 X Anderson 221-8 X Jantzen 221-199 X Keeton 146-151 Orban 221-299 X McGranahan 221-242 X Allegri 221-97 1 0 FOREIGN PATENTS 551,979 1/1923 France. 1,118,573 3/1956 France.

150,868 2/1932 Switzerland.

5 OTHER REFERENCES German application 1,002,545 of Georg Wiegandt and Sohne, published Feb. 14, 1957.

10 ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

KENNETH N. LEIMER, Examiner. 

1. A MERCHANDISING DISPLAY COMPRISING A BASE AND A HOLLOW RISER, SAID BASE INCLUDING A TRAY FOR TEMPORARILY STORING AND EXHIBITING ARTICLES OF MERCHANDISE, AND HAND OPERABLE SAMPLE DISPENSING MEANS, SAID DISPENSING MEANS HAVING A VERTICALLY ELONGATED CHUTE, SAID RISER HAVING WALLS WITHIN WHICH THE CHUTE IS LOCATED SO AS TO BE CONCEALED FROM VIEW, SAID CHUTE BEING ARRANGED TO STORE A QUANTITY OF MERCHANDISE, A DISPENSING SLIDE, A BRIDGE HAVING SPACED PARALLEL LEGS STANDING IN THE TRAY, AND MEANS MOUNTING THE SLIDE ON THE BRIDGE FOR RECIPROCAL MOVEMENT ACROSS THE 